Teaching Thinking, Problem Solving, and Skill Acquisition.

Chapter 7

Teaching Thinking, Problem Solving, and Skill Acquisition

Looking AheadWhy is it important to develop students’

ability to think critically and solve problems in a democratic society?

What skills have a particular importance for social studies?

Why are these skills important for social studies?

How can teachers best teach these skills to students?

Can You?Explain three ways to teach students to

think logically? Identify the functions of the mind that

relate to critical thinking? Identify of problem-solving tasks? Identify several ways that you can stimulate

curiosity in students? Explain why map and globe skills are

challenging for students? Explain the three types of memory?

Do You?Know how to help students to understand

and retain information? Understand stand the term story map? Know the functions of the mind? Ever get the "Columbus urge" or have

“Aha!" moments? Know and understand the term mnemonic

device?

Focus Activity Think back about your education and life

experiences. Can you recall an important decision you

had to make in your life? How did you go about finding the ultimate

solution? Share your decision making experiences

and compare with classmates. Does your decision making process share

common attributes with others? If so, what attributes?

Thinking SkillsWhat are the two kinds of learning?

Rote Learning?Constructivist Learning?

What does the term “thinking skills” refer to?

What are a few principals teacher could follow to enhance students’ retention of knowledge?

Logical Thinking and Analyzing SkillsWhat are ways teachers can help

students gain logical thinking and analyzing skills?ModelingThrough discussionThrough guided practice with feedback

Critical and Creative ThinkingWhat is critical thinking?What is creative thinking?Why does creative thinking differ from most thought required in school?

Problem Solving and InquiryHow can teachers utilize problem

solving in the social studies curriculum?How does an inquiry teaching model

work?What is the best way to create active

problem solvers? What are the different types of

problem-solving tasks that a teacher can utilize in the classroom?

Promoting Critical Thinking with ModulesWhat are modules and how are they used?Develop definitional understanding of concepts

Help students reach evaluation judgments

provide experiences that cause students to arrive at a commonly shared generalization as a way of thinking

Promoting Inquiry with Case StudiesWhat is a case study approach and who

might use it? Why?What are some basic procedures for

preparing a case study?Identify the problemTentatively identify a research procedureSelect the appropriate example (or case)Develop detailed procedural plansCollect resources related to the caseOrganize the materials and dataPlan activities

Incorporating Thinking and Learning Skills into Social StudiesWhat skills are at the core of effective teaching?

What is the major thrust of social studies?

Building the Desire to Master Study SkillsLearning to use knowledge is the

heart of a problems approach. Once students learn that knowing

information and how to get it is useful in solving real problems, it gives knowledge purpose.

Knowledge is empowering

Finding InformationWhat is the “Columbus urge”?How can a teacher facilitate the

“Columbus urge”Stir interest/curiosityLeave questions danglingModel excitementCelebrate discoveries

How can a teacher promote decision making?How can a teacher promote information

retention?

Maps and GlobesAre map reading skills necessary in

today’s day and age?What are some considerations

teachers need to keep in mind when choosing maps or globes?

What are a few ideas that might help students learn more effectively from and about maps?

Using MapsHow can we create authentic map

activities for students?Why do students tend to see map

work as lacking in purpose?Why do students never really learn

to use maps to find specific information or to follow routes?

Charts, Graphs, and MapsCan math related concepts and skills be taught within social studies curriculum?

If so, how?

Economic SkillsWhat economic skills do students need to learn?

What are some activities a teacher can use to help teach economic skills?

Looking Back The major goal of teaching is to help students

become independent learners, therefore a real emphasis needs to be placed on students’ ability to think and solve problems

Obtaining, understanding, and retaining information are among the thinking skills that are important to social studies learning

Problem-solving is the most essential thinking ability and is an important part of the inquiry process.

Well-developed study skills give students a winning advantage including

This is a society in which the development of Map skills, time skills and economic skills are essential to survival

ExtensionIt is almost spring break and you are

finishing the third semester report cards. Your principal stops by your classroom to express his enjoyment of your problem solving based classroom activities. The Monday after spring break he would like you to share a new dynamic classroom activity with the superintendent, assistant principal, and a local reporter. You agree to the challenge, and say “I am excited for the opportunity, thank you.”

ExtensionDevelop a new and innovate problem

solving based classroom activity for the elementary grade level and topic of your choice.

The activity should be in written form and utilize the lesson/activity format required by your school/district/university.

Share your response with peers and/or instructor.

ExtensionSelect a skill and grade level (6-12) of

your choice. Develop a new and unique activity that

can help students master the selected skill while learning social studies content.

The activity should be in written form and utilize the lesson/activity format required by your school/district/university.

Share your response with peers and/or instructor.

Self-Test1. What are thinking skills? 2. What does the term schema mean and how

does it relate to thinking? 3. What does the term critical thinking

mean? 4. What is meant by the expression, story

map? 5. Can you list five thinking skills and

describe a class activity for meeting each thinking skill.

Self-Test6. Can you identify and describe types of

problem-solving tasks? 7. What are some ways to create the "Columbus

urge" in students? 8. What is a mnemonic device? 9. Describe the three types of memory? 10.What are some guidelines for using maps and

globes? 11.Why is it important to teach maps in a way that

involves maps as tools of problem solving?

ResourcesBoostrom, R. (2005). Thinking: The foundation of

critical and creative learning in the classroom. New York: Teachers College Press.

Council for Economic Education. (2003). The great economic mysteries book: A guide to teaching economic reasoning grades 4-8. New York: Council for Economic Education.

Erickson, L. (2007). Concept-based curriculum and instruction for the thinking classroom. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.

Johnson, T. (2012). Exploring the options: Teaching economic decision-making with poetry. The Social Studies, 103(2), 61-66.

ResourcesKracl, C. (2012). Review or true? Using high-level

thinking questions in social studies instruction. The Social Studies, 103(2), 57-60.

McIntyre, B. (2011). History scene investigations: From clues to conclusions. The Social Studies, 23(3), 17-21.

Sewell, A.M., Fuller, S., Murphy, R.C., and Funnell, B.H. (2002). Creative problem solving: A means to authentic and purposeful social studies. The Social Studies, 93(4), 176–179.